Whether they’re dismissing princes or saving them, each of these diverse heroines remains the center of her own legend.

In this second volume of reissued classic folktales, a Punjabi woman outwits seven ruthless thieves, an Incan girl restores harmony to the empire, and a mischievous Norwegian lass thwarts her entitled landowner. Spanning several centuries and continents, the stories in Kamala recall how it's the dazzling courage, cleverness, and power of women that hold our world together.